Home Office

Human Trafficking: Prosecutions

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21 June 2022 to Question 18775 on Human Trafficking: Prosecutions, how many people have been successfully prosecuted for people smuggling since December 2019.

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people smugglers who aid migrants to illegally cross the English Channel have been (a) identified and (b) prosecuted in each month since January 2021.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office aims to tackle the organised crime gangs behind illegal migration. The Home Office works tirelessly, with other national and international law enforcement authorities, to tackle migrant smuggling gangs who organise and profit from illegal crossings and to bring to justice the ruthless criminals behind them. We are determined to go after the callous people smugglers who exploit vulnerable people in difficult circumstances and put them in life-threatening situations.The Joint Intelligence Cell has dismantled 59 organised crime groups since its inception in July 2020. This year alone, the Cell has so far secured the arrests of 384 suspected people smugglers.  The Cell records activity undertaken by UK and French law enforcement agencies.

Asylum: Applications

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's objectives are for the timeframe in which to accept, investigate and come to a final adjudication on asylum applications.

Robert Jenrick: We are working hard to improve the level of service we provide to those who claim asylum. A new Accelerated Service Standard is being developed and we are testing the impact of several coordinated initiatives, including enhanced screening, case triage, centralised workflow and streamlined decision templates. The expected benefits include improved interview processing times, increased decisions on paper without the need for interviews (where appropriate), reduced time taken to complete a decision and productivity improvements.

Asylum: El Salvador

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of the introduction in May 2022 of a visa requirement for all travel from El Salvador to the UK on the availability to Salvadorean nationals of safe and legal routes to asylum in the UK.

Robert Jenrick: The UK has a proud record of providing protection for people who need it. But as the Prime Minister set out in his recent statement to Parliament (13th December), we must be able to control our borders to ensure that the only people who come here come through safe and legal routes. Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach. This is the fastest route to safety, and applies to all countries, regardless of their visa requirement.

Asylum: Temporary Accommodation

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the daily per person rate of funding provided to Luton Borough Council to support asylum seekers housed in (a) dispersed accommodation, (b) overflow dispersed accommodation, (c) contingency hotel, (d) stage one overnight initial accommodation and (e) spot booking.

Robert Jenrick: Asylum seekers accommodated by the Home Office have access to Migrant Help, a voluntary sector organisation funded by the Home Office, can use the NHS free of charge and are provided with other support to cover their essential living needs.The Full Dispersal model, announced on 13 April 2022 is supported by £21million of un-ringfenced grant funding to make sure eligible Local Authorities can provide wraparound support locally. Local authorities will also receive £3,500 for each new dispersal accommodation bed space in the 22/23 financial year. Our accommodation providers have a robust delivery model in place, maximising the use of on-site facilities for recreation, and pastoral care to minimise impact on the local community.Security and support staff are on site 24 hours a day and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the safety of vulnerable residents and to mitigate any risks to them and the wider community.Multi Agency Forum meetings are held regularly to discuss the operational arrangements of sites with Local Authority Officials and statutory partners, which also allows exchange of data of this nature.

Asylum: Temporary Accommodation

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the daily per person rate of funding provided to local authorities to support asylum seekers housed in (a) dispersed accommodation, (b) overflow dispersed accommodation, (c) contingency hotels, (d) stage one overnight initial accommodation and (e) spot booking.

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the daily per person rate of funding provided to Luton Borough Council to support asylum seekers housed in (a) dispersed accommodation, (b) overflow dispersed accommodation, (c) contingency hotel, (d) stage one overnight initial accommodation and (e) spot booking.

Robert Jenrick: Asylum seekers accommodated by the Home Office have access to Migrant Help, a voluntary sector organisation funded by the Home Office, can use the NHS free of charge and are provided with other support to cover their essential living needs.The Full Dispersal model, announced on 13 April 2022 is supported by £21million of un-ringfenced grant funding to make sure eligible Local Authorities can provide wraparound support locally. Local authorities will also receive £3,500 for each new dispersal accommodation bed space in the 22/23 financial year. Our accommodation providers have a robust delivery model in place, maximising the use of on-site facilities for recreation, and pastoral care to minimise impact on the local community.Security and support staff are on site 24 hours a day and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the safety of vulnerable residents and to mitigate any risks to them and the wider community.Multi Agency Forum meetings are held regularly to discuss the operational arrangements of sites with Local Authority Officials and statutory partners, which also allows exchange of data of this nature.

Asylum: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers who were placed in hotels in Slough absconded from their accommodation during 2022.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied minors have been placed in in the Slough Borough Council area by her Department or its agencies.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the suitability of hotels in Slough constituency as long term accommodation for asylum seekers located there by her Department or its agencies.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has no power to hold asylum seekers in hotels or any temporary accommodation if they wish to leave. The Home Office does not publish a breakdown of statistics which disaggregates the number of adult asylum seekers leaving hotels. These figures are not available.Using hotels to accommodate asylum seekers is not a long-term solution. Central to our focus is the impact on local communities, in sourcing specific sites, Accommodation Providers conduct a series of due diligence checks pre-mobilisation for use and must ensure that accommodation is statutorily and regulatory compliant. In 2022 four Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) were transferred to Slough through the National Transfer Scheme. Details can be found at RASI (Resettlement, Asylum Support and Integration) data: Q3 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Asylum: Southampton Itchen

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many overnight stays in Southampton Itchen have asylum seekers spent in (a) dispersed accommodation, (b) overflow dispersed accommodation, (c) contingency hotel, (d) stage one overnight initial accommodation or (e) accommodation made by spot booking since November 2022.

Robert Jenrick: Statistics relating to supported asylum seekers temporarily residing in contingency accommodation are published as Immigration Statistics under the S98 population tables and the latest published immigration statistics also detail the number of asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority area. These statistics can be found at Asylum and resettlement datasets www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets(opens in a new tab). Data is published on a quarterly basis, with the latest information published 24 November 2022. The next quarterly figures are due to be released in February 2023.The Home Office does not publish a breakdown of these statistics which disaggregates the number of asylum seekers accommodated in specific accommodation. These figures are not available in a reportable format and to provide the information could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Asylum: Southampton

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on the number of asylum seekers the Dolphin Hotel in Southampton has housed since it began providing temporary accommodation; and what the average occupancy rate was.

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any asylum seekers have absconded from the Dolphin Hotel in Southampton since the hotel was adopted by the Home Office.

Robert Jenrick: Occupancy levels are recorded at a specific point in time and vary daily. Statistics relating to asylum seekers temporarily residing in contingency accommodation are published as Immigration Statistics under the S98 population tables. These statistics can be found at Asylum and resettlement datasets www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets. Data are published on a quarterly basis, with the latest information published 24 November 2022. The next quarterly figures are due to be released in February 2023.The Home Office has no power to hold asylum seekers, including children, in hotels or any temporary accommodation if they wish to leave.

Asylum: Southampton Itchen

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate her Department has made of how long hotels will be used to temporarily house asylum seekers in Southampton, Itchen constituency.

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of using hotels in Southampton Itchen constituency to temporarily house asylum seekers on local NHS service.

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of using hotels as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers in Southampton, Itchen constituency on the safety of (a) other hotel occupants and (b) local residents.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office aims to gradually end the use of hotels and move asylum seekers to less expensive and more suitable dispersed accommodation.  The Department has established a programme of work to actively encourage the three private providers of asylum accommodation and Local Authorities to support the procurement of sufficient dispersed accommodation. The Home Office will shortly bring forward a range of alternative sites such as disused holiday parks, former student halls, and surplus military sites.Each potential accommodation site is assessed for its suitability, including the availability of public services within the local area. Our providers have a strong record of running contingency sites effectively with minimal impact on the local area and population. We actively engage and collaborate with relevant stakeholders including NHS partners to understand and act on any concerns appropriately as the site operates.

Asylum: Hotels

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has budgeted for the provision of hotel accommodation for asylum seekers per person for the next 12 months.

Robert Jenrick: The United Kingdom has a statutory obligation to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation and other support whilst their application for asylum is being considered.From 13 April 2022, all Local Authority areas in England, Scotland and Wales were expected to participate in a new system of full dispersal accommodation. This will allow the Home Office to move from using hotels to less expensive and more suitable dispersed accommodation. The Full Dispersal model allows the Home Office to procure dispersal properties within the private rental sector in all Local Authority areas across England, Scotland and Wales, rather than the minority of Local Authorities which currently participate, this approach will reduce pressures on those Local Authorities.Costs for contingency accommodation are subject to change depending on numbers being accommodated within the asylum system. Accommodation costs are considered to be commercially confidential, therefore the Home Office does not publish this information. However, total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ho-annual-reports-and-accounts’.

Asylum: Hotels

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government has made support available for hotel employees who have potentially lost their employment due to hotels being used as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers.

Robert Jenrick: Hotels are under no obligation to contract with our providers but may recognise a commercial benefit from this arrangement. The decision regarding hotel staff is the responsibility of the hotel and not the Home Office.The use of hotels is a short-term solution, and we continue to work hard with local authorities to increase the supply of dispersal accommodation, which provides a better result for local communities, the individuals seeking asylum.

Asylum: Hotels

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an economic impact assessment of housing asylum seekers at local hotels on (a) the local economy and (b) business activity on local high streets where those hotels are located.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide accommodation and other support to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute while their application for asylum is being considered.The significant increase in illegal, unnecessary and dangerous journeys across the Channel is placing unprecedented strain on our asylum system and it has made it necessary to continue to use hotels to accommodate some asylum seekers. The use of hotels is a short-term solution, and we are working hard with local authorities to find appropriate accommodation.

Asylum: Temporary Accommodation

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her Department's policy to give initial asylum decisions to applicants whilst they are housed in contingency hotels or barracks accommodation.

Robert Jenrick: All asylum claims are considered on a case by case basis and in line with published policy so that individuals who need protection and are granted asylum can start to integrate and rebuild their lives in the UK.To further accelerate decision making we are simplifying and modernising our system. This includes measures like shortening interviews, removing unnecessary interviews, making guidance simpler and more accessible, dealing with cases more swiftly where they can be certified as manifestly unfounded and extra decision makers.

Department for Education

Overseas Students: Ukraine

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on supporting Ukrainian students studying full-time at Ukrainian institutions remotely from the UK.

Robert Halfon: Universities in Ukraine are striving to maintain the education of their students under extremely challenging conditions. This includes through the provision of online distance learning for students enrolled at Ukrainian universities who now live in another country, including in the UK. The department encourages these students to speak with their education provider in Ukraine to understand what support is available for them to continue their studies at their Ukrainian provider. This includes those studying through the UK twinning programme, of which the government announced funding to support in June 2022. Information about this can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-uk-package-offers-a-lifeline-to-ukrainian-researchers-and-entrepreneurs. The programme provides support to Ukrainian universities by establishing partnerships with those in the UK.Student finance is available only for eligible students studying a course provided predominantly in the UK by a UK higher education provider, including Ukrainian students who have enrolled at UK universities. In England, those studying via distance learning are, in general, not eligible to receive student loans to cover maintenance costs. This is also the case for Ukrainian students in England, who are studying via distance learning.The department does not hold data on the number of Ukrainians who are studying online at Ukrainian institutions via distance learning in the UK.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Somalia: Military Aid

Alyn Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Somalia National Army soldiers are due to be trained by UK armed forces in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.

Alyn Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Somalian counterpart on the protection of (a) civilians and (b) human rights during the Somali military offensive against al-Shabaab.

Alyn Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his department has set out human rights conditions to the Federal Government of Somalia relating to the provision of UK armed forces training to security forces in that country.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is a major security partner of Somalia, working with international partners to counter al-Shabaab, build capacity of Somali forces and support the transition to Somali-led security. The UK has trained 1,771 Somalis in 2022. We cannot yet give figures for 2023. Protection of human rights is central to our security engagement and interventions, including through engagement with the Somali Government, as well as incorporating human rights language into UN resolutions in our role as penholder and mandating pre-deployment human rights training for the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and Somali security forces personnel. The UK also advocates at all levels of Government that military planning for security operations against Al-Shabaab should look to minimise humanitarian impacts and that all security actors should respect International Humanitarian Law which includes the protection of civilians. This approach aligns with the recently published UK humanitarian framework.

China: Prisoners

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his Chinese counterpart on ending the practice of organ harvesting of prisoners on death row in China.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We continue to monitor and review evidence relating to reports of forced organ harvesting in China and maintain a dialogue with leading Non- Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and international partners on the issue. The Government's position remains that, if true, the practice of systematic, state-sponsored organ harvesting would constitute a serious violation of human rights.The UK Government regularly raises the human rights situation in China directly with the Chinese authorities at the highest levels. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary did so in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on 20 September.

Colombia: Females and LGBT+ People

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has held discussions with his counterpart in Columbia on harassment of women and LGBTIQ+ people during protests.

David Rutley: Colombia is a UK Human Rights Priority Country and UK ministers and senior officials regularly raise human rights issues with the Colombian Government. Most recently, Minister Rutley visited Colombia last month and met with Álvaro Leyva, Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs, to discuss the UK's ongoing support for the Colombian peace process and other security and social challenges. We are clear that we support the right of all Colombians to protest peacefully, and that the right to peaceful assembly and association must be guaranteed.

Palestinians: Terrorism

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Palestinian Authority on the payment of salaries to Palestinians convicted of terror offences.

David Rutley: The UK remains resolute in its commitment to Israel's security. Our clear and long-standing message to the Palestinian Authority (PA) is that the prisoner payments system should be reformed so that it is needs based, transparent and affordable. We continue to raise this with the highest levels of the PA, most recently the British Consulate General Jerusalem raised the matter with the Palestinian Prime Minister's Office in December 2022. We also have robust safeguards in place to ensure that no UK aid is used for payments to Palestinian prisoners, or their families or the Martyrs Fund and will continue to raise this at the highest level.

Nizar Banat

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 December 2022, Official Report, 97558, what recent discussions he has had with the Palestinian Authority on upholding human rights and the death of human rights activist Nazir Banat.

David Rutley: The UK is clear that further improvements are needed in the Palestinian security sector. We regularly raise concerns about the handling of complaints of mistreatment, arbitrary detention or human rights abuses at the highest levels of the Palestinian Authority, including the failure to deliver a transparent investigation and accountability following the death in custody of Nizar Banat.

Department of Health and Social Care

Nurses: Migrant Workers

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many overseas nurses were working in (a) the NHS and (b) each NHS England Hospital Trust in each year since 2015; and whether he has made an estimate of the cost of (a) recruitment and (b) visas for overseas nurses in year since 2015.

Will Quince: Tables showing the number of headcount and full-time equivalent nurses and health visitors with a non-United Kingdom nationality in National Health Service hospital trusts and core organisations in August of each year since 2015 is attached. No specific assessment of the cost of recruitment for overseas nurses or visas has been made. However, in October 2021, NHS England commissioned a review by the Nuffield Trust, which estimated the cost of recruiting a nurse from overseas at approximately £10,000 to £12,000. Since August 2020, nurses have paid reduced visa fees through the Health and Care Visa.Number of headcount and full-time equivalent nurse (xlsx, 79.2KB)Number of headcount and full-time equivalent nurse (xlsx, 79.2KB)

Surgical Mesh Implants

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to undertake a retrospective audit of mesh as called for in Baronness Cumberlege's First Do No Harm, The report of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review.

Maria Caulfield: We accepted the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review’s recommendation to undertake a selective retrospective audit of a defined cohort of women who have undergone mesh procedures. NHS Digital has undertaken an audit of all pelvic floor surgery completed between 2006 and 2011 to generate a historical baseline of outcomes by procedure type and to support further research and analysis. This audit was conducted using initial procedures and re-operations/ follow up procedures recorded within Hospital Episode Statistics data. While the audit has been completed and is undergoing peer review, which may necessitate further enhancements, prior to publication in 2023.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

EU Law

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Retained EU Law Bill, whether she plans to (a) revoke, (b) retain or (c) replace Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008.

Mark Spencer: The UK is committed to being a world leader in tackling IUU Fishing. HM Government is in the process of analysing all retained EU law. This analysis will enable us to determine what should be preserved as part of domestic law and what should be repealed or amended.

Shellfish: Delivery Services

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of current regulations for online marketplaces at ensuring the safety of decapod crustaceans sold online.

Mark Spencer: Legislation protects all animals from being transported in a way likely to cause injury or suffering. Invertebrates are protected from injury or unnecessary suffering during transportation by a general duty of care provision in Article 4 of The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006 (WATEO) and equivalent national legislation in Scotland and Wales. WATEO requires that animals are transported in receptacles or means of transport under conditions (in particular with regard to space, ventilation, temperature and security) and with such supply of liquid and oxygen, as are appropriate for the species concerned. No further assessment has been made.

Shellfish: Delivery Services

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will have discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on banning the sale of decapod crustaceans online where they are sent to consumers via postal or courier while alive.

Mark Spencer: No discussions have taken place with the Welsh Government.The Government is considering carefully the implications of recognising in law the sentience of decapod crustaceans and cephalopod molluscs and is working constructively with industry and stakeholders on these issues.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Incentives

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what was the total value of non-cash vouchers awarded to staff working for his Department as performance-related bonuses in (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19, (c) 2019-20, (d) 2020-21 and (e) 2021-22.

Mark Spencer: The total spend for non-cash vouchers for Defra in 2021-22 was £130,040. Prior to this, Defra did not use non-cash vouchers as performance-related bonuses or otherwise.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 July 2022 to Question 31794 on Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, how many people working in her Department’s executive agencies held electronic purchasing cards that allowed them to make purchases against her Department's budget as of 31 March 2022.

Mark Spencer: The number of electronic purchasing card holders in each of Defra’s executive agencies is as follows. Animal and Plant Health Agency: 50Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science: 266Rural Payments Agency: 12Veterinary Medicines Directorate: 12

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Written Questions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she will to respond to Questions 97494 and 97595 tabled on 28 November 2022 by the Rt hon. Member for Islington South and Finsbury.

Mark Spencer: Answers are being prepared and will be published shortly.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what their Department spent in 2021 on purchasing goods and services with a value of less than £500 on a government procurement card.

Mark Spencer: The department spent £199,762 in 2021 on purchasing goods and services with a value of less than £500 on a government procurement card. This equates to 2,486 transactions.